[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 175 (Tuesday, November 13, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H13810-H13811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            JOHN SIDNEY ``SID'' FLOWERS POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 3470) to designate the facility of the United 
States Postal Service located at 744 West Oglethorpe Highway in 
Hinesville, Georgia, as the ``John Sidney `Sid' Flowers Post Office 
Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3470

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. JOHN SIDNEY ``SID'' FLOWERS POST OFFICE BUILDING.

       (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal 
     Service located at 744 West Oglethorpe Highway in Hinesville, 
     Georgia, shall be known and designated as the ``John Sidney 
     ``Sid'' Flowers Post Office Building''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be 
     a reference to the ``John Sidney ``Sid'' Flowers Post Office 
     Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the 
consideration of H.R. 3470, which names the postal facility in 
Hinesville, Georgia, after John Sidney ``Sid'' Flowers. H.R. 3470 was 
introduced by Representative Jack Kingston on September 4, 2007, and 
was reported from the Oversight Committee on October 23 by a voice 
vote. This measure has the support of the entire Georgia congressional 
delegation.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. John Sidney Flowers was born December 22, 1931, in 
Liberty County, Georgia. He served in the United States Army for 2 
years before attending Mercer University and Mercer Law School in 
Macon, Georgia. He was indeed an outstanding citizen, and I want to 
commend Representative Kingston for moving to recognize his 
contributions by naming this postal facility in his honor.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston), the author of the 
bill.
  Mr. KINGSTON. I thank the gentleman from California and I thank the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for his help in the committee and 
Members of Congress for their support of this.
  Sid Flowers, John Sidney Flowers, was a good friend of mine. He was a 
friend of many people, as he had served in office for so many years in 
the State of Georgia. His wife, Nan, is a friend; his daughters Kay and 
Darcy have been friends over the years. It is just one of the great 
families that does so much for a community and makes a community what 
it is.
  Sidney was actually the Solicitor General for Liberty County for over 
32 years. This is the home of Fort Stewart, in Hinesville, Georgia, a 
military town where there is lots of turnover. You need people who kind 
of know the history of the community, and that was Sid Flowers. He did 
so much for so many.
  There are many times when people said they would be eating with Sid 
Flowers, eating lunch, and a group of soldiers would come in who maybe 
were new in town, maybe not. There are thousands of soldiers stationed 
at Fort Stewart, and Sidney would quietly walk over to the cashier, 
pick up the tab for the soldiers, pay for their lunch, and then ask the 
cashier not to tell them who paid for it.

                              {time}  1745

  That is the kind of guy he was.
  Sydney was actually elected as a Republican, and many people know 35 
years ago in the State of Georgia, there was almost a nonexistent 
Republican Party. And to be elected as a Republican, you had to be a 
pretty good guy, probably somebody who could get elected in either 
party, and somebody who was liked and had support from both parties.
  Yet in all cases, Sid Flowers was respected by everybody. Former 
Democrat State representative, a Democrat mayor and also a Republican 
at one time, Buddy DeLoach, has a letter about Sidney Flowers that I 
will submit for the Record, as well as one from Sampie Smith who was a 
great educator in Liberty County who has recently retired, made a run 
for mayor himself. But great folks in a great town.
  Sidney is what Sampie Smith actually described as one of those 
Reader's Digest types, somebody who is memorable and inspirational to a 
community. I will submit a number of things for the Record on Sidney 
Flowers so we can move on to some other issues, but I just want to 
thank this community for recognizing somebody of his caliber because I 
had the privilege of knowing him. But I can say this unequivocally, 
everybody in the Chamber would have liked him because he was someone 
you could count on and deal with, one of those great community leaders 
back home that we all have in our districts. I want to submit these 
letters and a couple of other comments about Sidney, and thank the 
committee.
  The First District of Georgia lost a great man when John Sidney 
``Sid'' Flowers died August 21, 2006. It was his work as a lawyer and 
as the Solicitor General for Liberty County's State Court that allowed 
him to serve his hometown professionally, but it was his kind, often 
anonymous service to the people and the soldiers of Liberty County that 
endeared him to so many in the military town of Hinesville, Georgia.

[[Page H13811]]

   Sid Flowers was a Liberty County native who served in the U.S. Army 
before heading to law school at Mercer. Although he was a top student 
at Mercer Law and could have headed to Atlanta for the ``big money,'' 
he returned to Liberty County to work in his hometown. He served his 
community as solicitor general for nearly four decades, but he was best 
known for his pro bono legal advice. He gave of his legal knowledge and 
expertise to the First Presbyterian Church and the church's school at 
no charge.
  Many of Sid's friends mention that it was not uncommon to go to a 
restaurant with him, and Sid would pick up the tab for any soldiers who 
happened to be eating in the restaurant at the time. He did this 
anonymously, as he never wanted his gracious actions to be attributed.
  Sid Flowers has been described as ``one of those classic Reader's 
Digest types that folks wrote about being so memorable'' and ``an 
inspiration for others to become involved in community service.'' The 
military town of Hinesville, Georgia, lost one of its best when Sid 
Flowers died last year. The true spirit of this man was exemplified by 
his unpublished deeds, but I think its time we honor him publicly by 
naming the United States Post Office on Oglethorpe Highway in 
Hinesville, Georgia after John Sidney Flowers.

                                               Hinesville, GA,

                                                     May 16, 2007.
     To: Congressman Jack Kingston.
       Dear Jack: I write to urge that the U.S. Post Office 
     Building in Hinesville be named for John Sidney Flowers. 
     Sidney was a lifelong resident of Hinesville and served this 
     community in many ways.
       As the long time Solicitor of the state court, Sidney 
     displayed a unique ability to do justice in all cases he 
     handled. His calm, common sense approach to this difficult 
     job enabled him to make a tremendous contribution to the 
     criminal justice system.
       Sidney's support for community activities and organizations 
     has been an inspiration for others to become involved in 
     community service. He always gave freely of his time and 
     money.
       He was considered by many to be an ``old time'' lawyer. He 
     was known and trusted by everyone. Many families went to him 
     to settle or avoid disputes. He was a master at restoring 
     calm reason when tempers flared. He is the one we went to 
     when we had problems, and he always took time to help us find 
     solutions.
       I believe the naming of the Post Office is fitting and 
     proper way to honor the memory of a man that did so much for 
     this community.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Buddy DeLoach.
                                  ____
                                  


                                               Hinesville, GA,

                                                   March 15, 2007.
     Hon. Jack Kingston,
     Rayburn HOB,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Kingston: I am writing about an unnamed 
     federal public building in Hinesville, Georgia and a man that 
     could and should be honored by that building being named for 
     him.
       The United States Post Office on Oglethorpe Highway in 
     Hinesville has been open for several years now but remains 
     without a name. A person who richly deserves to be honored, 
     although he never would have thought so, is J. Sidney 
     Flowers.
       I met Sidney and his gracious wife Nan when I was sent by 
     the United States Army to Fort Stewart and eventually started 
     teaching at the local public high school, Bradwell Institute, 
     with Mrs. Flowers. Nan's husband was one of those classic 
     Reader's Digest types that folks wrote about being so 
     memorable.
       Sidney was a product of Liberty County and dedicated 
     himself to the community. He paid homage of his lineage by 
     serving on the Board of Directors for the Taylors' Creek 
     Cemetery Association for many years, Taylors' Creek was the 
     largest of the little towns that were obliterated with the 
     creation of Camp Stewart in 1940. Sidney was a graduate of 
     Bradwell Institute, a school that traces its heritage here in 
     Hinesville back to 1871. Sidney did very well in law school 
     at Mercer in Macon and could have gone to ``the big city'' 
     and made ``big money'' but chose to return to his roots, 
     become a family man, and public servant. For almost four 
     decades he served as the Solicitor General of Liberty 
     County's State Court. He and Nan reared two wonderful and 
     beautiful daughters here, Kay and Darcey. And Sidney was so 
     much more than an elected official.
       A veteran of the United States Army, Sidney proudly wore 
     his American Legionnaire's hat and Old Glory in his lapel. He 
     was a Shriner. He was so well respected as an elder of the 
     First Presbyterian Church that he is one of only six to be 
     identified as an Elder Emeritus. He gave his legal knowledge 
     and expertise pro bono to his church and that church's 
     Christian school.
       Sidney was charitable to a fault and few but those that 
     were recipients knew about his largess and whenever possible 
     his gifts were anonymous. More than once I have seen him pay 
     the bill of a soldier at local restaurants all the while 
     telling the G.I.'s waitress that his beneficence was not be 
     attributed. His tall height and long gait that had served him 
     so well when he was a young student in Macon when he 
     officiated high school basketball tournaments, made him 
     easily identifiable as he made his way into and out of this 
     very building that I have written about above. It was not 
     unusual for people to go over to him to enjoy his wry sense 
     of humor or to seek his wise counsel. Hinesville and Liberty 
     County lost a great man last year when J. Sidney Flowers 
     passed away and now it is fitting and proper to pay tribute 
     to this giant of a man.
       I would urge that you do what you can to have the local 
     post office named for J. Sidney Flowers.
           Sincerely yours,
                                                  Sampie W. Smith.

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3470.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise to urge the passing of this bill to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
744 West Oglethorpe Highway in Hinesville, Georgia, as the ``John 
Sidney `Sid' Flowers Post Office Building''.
  A native of Liberty County, Sid Flowers served in the U.S. Army 
before attending law school at Mercer. Despite distinguishing himself 
as a top scholar at Mercer, he opted not to pursue high profile law 
firms in Atlanta. Instead he returned to his hometown where he served 
the county as Solicitor General for nearly four decades. But his public 
service did not end there. Mr. Flowers was best known for his pro bono 
legal work, contributing his advice to the First Presbyterian Church 
and the church's school at no charge.
  Mr. Flowers not only gave back to the community professionally, but 
also through his generous, often anonymous, contributions. His 
munificence took many forms, whether it was through community service 
or anonymously picking up the tab for soldiers dining at local 
restaurants.
  When Mr. Flowers passed on August 21, 2006, Liberty County lost the 
consummate public servant. A kind and humble man, his passionate and 
selfless commitment to his community and country undoubtedly deserves 
tribute.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill to publicly 
honor this man, not only for his public service, but for the intangible 
generosity of his spirit.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3470.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________